Apparatus for forming flanges



June 6, 1933.

w. H, BRETT APPARATUS FOR FORMING FLANGS Filed Feb. 28, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l W. H. BRETT APPARATUS Fon FORMING FLANGES June, 1933.

Filed Feb. 2s, 1951 a sheets-met 2 (Y: INVENToR. MIZ/QM //z Jun*e6,f1933.5 w. H. BRETT 1,912,930

- APPARATUS FOR FORMING FLANGES Filed Feb. 2s, 1951 s sheets-sheet 5 33 INVENToR. w27/fmt /e 94%/ M gy ATTORNEY. 9-

2q vOuter edge. The inner flange of the leaf, howy producing av table leaf Patented June 6, 1933 UNITED STAT/ES PATENT? OFFICE wiLLrAM n. BRETT, or srrAKnR'HnieHrs vrLLAen, bHIo, Assrenon 'ro ENAMEL rRonUo'rs COMPANY, oF cnnvnnnivn, oHro, A oonromirroiv or omo- ArrARArUs non' FORMING r'LAivGns Application ledFebruary 28, 1931. rSerial No. 519,074.

VThis invention, as indicated, relates to ape A paratus for forming flanges. More particularly it comprises apparatusfor forming a reversely curved flange and suitable corner portions adjacentone edge of a table, leaf whichv will permit the same to lit, closely against -a sheet metal table top when moved to horizontal position, and which .will hang v in close relation to theedge of thetable top Y 10 when dropped to vertical position.

l The table top and leaf formed Iwith the apparatus herein disclosed has been made the subject matter of my cop'ending application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 1 v15 470,023, filed July 23, 1930.

It is customary to form frequently attached to a table/have similar outwardly. curved flanges and the sidesand ever, at the point where it joints the table top should fit .closely` against the adjacent flange of thetable top. This requires that f where it'joins the table top must be reversely curved and mergel with flanges at each 'of' the sides ofthe table top which 'are outwardlyV directed. In order to properly provide for the displacementoftlre metal in the outward.v .ly directed flangesl at the meeting pointA withy the. reversely-curved or inwardly directed flange, I provide for a corner construction wherein the meeting flanges mergein a sur-V 4face directed downwardly and outwardly, and with but slight curvature. Such corner` can bev produced so asto present a smooth satisfactorily appearing surface, notwithgstanding the factthat the outer sides of the inclined downwardly and inwardl'y.- i.

Thev invention includes j the apparatusy for cornen construction of the; character de-v .l scribed. vTo the accomplishment ofthe foregoing'gand related ends, ksaid invention, then, 'consists of lthe means hereinafter fully del the .edges of the .I table top rwith outwardly curved flanges. It, is desirablethat the leaf or leafportions `the flan-ge portion of the leafk at the pointk table leaf are inclined downwardly 'and outwardly and the inner edge of thetable leafV is having Y a :flange and The annexed drawings vandthe following description set forthin detail certain means and one mode of carrying'out the invention, such disclosed means and vmode illustrating,

however, but several of various ways in which 1 ,the princi-ple of the invention may be used.

In saidannexed drawings Fig. 1 is atop plan view showing in assembled relation the stationary and'movable die members for producing areversely directed rearward flange for a table leaf, or like structure, and the corner elements associated therewith Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device shown in Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a plan View of the under side of the presser plate and associated cams; Fig. 4 is a Afragmentary sectional view illustrating the cooperative action of the up- `per plate-carrying `cammembers and presser a plate; Fig. 5 is a view similar to that of'Fig.

k4, further illustrating the action of the cam members; Fg- 6 is a perspective view showing the actuating member for the corner die members; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the corner .die member; Vand Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a, corner ofa table leaf, or thelike, aftenI being pressed int-o final form in an apparatus ofthe character illustrated. u a

As will appear from the drawings, the apparatus comprises fa base -plate v1 carrying `the stationary portions of the die including `a rigidly attached flange forming v'element 2 and are'arward abutment 3 suitably channeled to provide separate passageways for slides 4 for actuating the movable ycorn-er elements 5 of the lower'die. yThe slide is preferablyof the shape shown in Fig. 6

and carries an upstanding lug 6 ateneA end y oset from one sideof whichy is mounted ya rroller, 7 The slide carries an integral block v8 on its upper side at the opposite end, said block providing a cam surface 9 on one sidesubstantially in line withsaid roller. The cam surface `9 isfadapted 'to bear against a cam block 10 to which issecured the inner corner member 5. The cam block 10' is held in retracted position by means of a spring 11 lseated in a 'recess within a'lowerblock. Through: the action of the slide andthe cam ,face 9 von block against the cam-face.

on the block 10, the corner pieces 5 may be projected forwardly within the sheet metal member to snugly fit the corners and align the front edges of said corner pieces with the stationary die ineinber 2 secured to the block.

Cooperating with the stationary member 2 and the corner blocks are sliding die members 13 and 14 (see Figs. 4, 5), secured to a supporting plate 15, said plate having at its rearward edge a plurality of cam faces 16 with which the cam elements on the cam plate, hereinafter to be described, coact. At each of the corners of said movable die are provided cooperating die members 17. These die members are adapted to form the corners of the sheet after the inner corner die members have been forced into place through the operation of the slides. Said movable die members 17 are guided between rigid plates 18, 19 at the respective sides of the supporting plate. Cam faces 21 are provided on the movable die members adapted to be actedpupon by the cams hereinafter described.

The construction of the members of the cam plate for actuating the several elements the plate serving to engage the rollers 7 on the slide blocks and through theassociat-ed elements to force the corner dies into alignment with the inner -die plate. series of cams 27 are so formed as to move the slidable die plates 13 and 14 into contact with the depending flange across .substaiitially the entire' edge of the metal sheet being worked upon. The remaining cams 28 are disposedv at the extreme corners kof the cam plate and coact with the sliding die members 17 which, Vin conjunction with the inn-er die members 5, form a special corner configuration which merges the inwardly and outwardly inclined flanges.

As is clearly shown in Fig. 1, the plate 15 carrying the movable die members 13, 14

is normally held in spaced relation to -thel rigid die member 2 by means of a series of springs 29.

From the description of the construction.

of the apparatus its operation will be readily uiiderstood. The metal sheet or plate 30 which it is desired to provide with a reverse! ly curved flange is first formed-with a plain downwardly extending flange around the margin Vof vthe plate. rl`he flanges at front and side edges of the plate are then formed The second f into downwardly and outwardly directed flanges having an inwardly directed extension flange at the free edge. The metal so formed is then placed with the intermediate plain flange over the rigid die member 2 and the corner die elements 5 are then forced outwardly into close fitting relation with'the inner corners of the plate. As the cam slide is further depressed, the outer die members 13 and 14 are brought into Contact with the depending flange of the plate which is formed into a reversely curved member of the configuration shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The further depression of the plate carrying the cams actuates the corner dies 17 and causes the formation at each end of the metal sheet,

of a corner such as is illustrated in Fig. 8

wherein the downwardly and inwardly directed flange 32 merges along the corner sur-v face 33 into a flange 31 having va downward.

ly and outwardly directed inclination.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the means and the steps herein disclosed, provided tliose stated by any of the following claims or their equivalent be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention: Y

1. An apparatus of the character described having in combination a stationary die member adapted to underlie the central portion of a metal plate beneath the front edge thereof, said plate having a plain downwardly directed flange and downwardly and outwardly extending flanges at its respective side l edges, angularly movable corner die members, means for moving said corner die members into alinement with the frontedge of said stationary die member, a companion die member positioned adjacent said stationary die member, means for moving the same into flange shaping relation with said stationary die member, complementary die memberspositioned adjacent said stationary die member, andmeans for moving the same into corner liaping relation with said corner die memers.

2. An apparatus of the character described having in combination a bed plate, a stationary die member secured to said bed plate and adapted to underlie the central portion of a metal plate beneath the front edge thereof, said plate having a plain downwardly directed flange and downwardly and outwardly extending llanges at its respective side. edges, "angularly movable corner die members positioned on said bed plate closely adjacent the ends of said stationary die member, means for moving said corner die members into" alinement with the front edge of said stationary die member, a companion die member positioned adjacent said stationary die upper plate adapted to be moved toward said base plate, means carried by said upper plate 1 adapted to clamp the work to said base plate and to actuate said movable die members into flange shaping relation with said companion members. I

3. An apparatus of the character'described Y having in combination a bed plate, an upper plate vertically movable above said bed plate, a stationary die member secured to said bed plate and adapted to underlie the central portion of a metal pla-te beneath the front edge Y thereof, said plate having a plain downwardf ly'directed flange and downwardly and outwardly extending flanges at its respective side edges, angularly movable corner die members positioned on said bed plate closely adjacent the ends of said stationary die memtioned adjacent said stationary and corner die members, and a series of cams for successively engagin'gthev cams on said die m-embers and moving them into flange shaping relation withsaid first named die members.

Signed by me this 10th dayof January, 1931. WILLIAM H. BRETT.

ber, means for moving said corner die mem-- bers into alinement with the front edge of said stationary Vdie member, a companion die member positioned adjacent said stationary die member and complementary die members positioned adjacent said corner die members, a resiliently supported presser plate associated with said upper plate and a plurality of cam members mounted on said upper plate and adapted to actuate the movable die mem- 4 bers. n

4. An apparatus of the character described Y havingin combination a bed plate, an upper plate vertically movable above said bed plate,- a stationary die member secured to said bed plate and adapted to underlie the central portion of a metal plate beneath the front edge thereof, said plate having a plain downwardly directed flange and downwardly and outwardly extending flanges at its respec-.

' ated with said upper plate and a plurality of j tive sideedges, angularly movable corner die members positioned on said bed plate closely adjacent the ends of said stationary die member, means for moving said corner die mem- Y' bers into alinement with the front edge of Y said stationary die member, a companion die member positioned adjacent said stationary die-member and complementary die members positioned adjacent said corner die members, al resiliently supported presser plate associsaid stationary die member, flange shapingk Y die members each having a cam face-posi- 

